The 10 (+1) questions we ask everybody

James Collins (UK)

SIX STRINGS...

1. GUITARS EXCHANGE: How did you
end up becoming, or start out as, a luthier?
James Collins: After 15 years of
working in the music business whilst regularly gigging, writing and recording
music I came to a fork in the road and chose to up sticks and head to America
to learn Lutherie at the Galloup School of Lutherie, Michigan. It was there
that I fell in love with guitar repairing & making. Upon returning to the
UK I setup 12th Fret a professional and dedicated repair workshop in
East Sussex and after a few years of solid repair started to build acoustic
& electric guitars.

2. G.E.: What inspires
you to design and manufacture a new guitar?

J.C.: Hand crafted Quality.
With 10 years bench experience to witness & draw from, the mass
manufactures short cuts are very apparent yet understandable, we have the
luxury to be able to always use the best quality woods, components and finish
due to the limited number of production

3. G.E.: Do you look
for a given sound for any particular reason?

J.C.: We are conscious
of the natural tonal properties and the marriage of our body, tops and
fretboard and align those together to create a cohesive sustaining tone and we
can utilize this to further enhance that marriage, as an example using a
Cocobolo fretboard with a Redwood top over a mahogany body enhances all of
their natural tonal qualities.